Complex alert rules for a medical personnel alert system

• US 8,374,988 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Gawlick, Ute
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Application Number:
  US12/707,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium are provided for generating a complex alert. Values of a plurality of physiological characteristics of a patient are received. The received values are compared to a complex alert rule associated with a medical condition. The complex alert rule includes a plurality of alert rules, wherein each alert rule includes an indicator of a physiological characteristic of a patient associated with the alert rule and a condition priority associated with an urgency of the alert rule. The complex alert rule also includes a trigger rule. The trigger rule includes a plurality of rules wherein each rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for each value of the condition priority. A number of alert rules of the plurality of alert rules that are satisfied is determined for each condition priority of the complex alert rule based on the comparison. A complex alert is generated if the determined number of alert rules for a condition priority satisfies the trigger rule of the complex alert rule.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium operably coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to

(a) receive values for a plurality of physiological characteristics of a patient;

(b) compare the received values to a complex alert rule associated with a medical condition, wherein the complex alert rule comprises a plurality of alert rules, wherein each alert rule comprises an indicator of a physiological characteristic of a patient associated with the alert rule and a condition priority associated with an urgency of the alert rule, and further wherein the complex alert rule comprises a trigger rule, wherein the trigger rule includes a plurality of rules wherein each rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for each value of the condition priority;

(c) determine a number of alert rules of the plurality of alert rules that are satisfied for each condition priority of the complex alert rule based on the comparison; and

(d) generate a complex alert if the determined number of alert rules for a condition priority satisfies the trigger rule of the complex alert rule.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising repeating (b)-(d) for a plurality of complex alert rules.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of complex alert rules is associated with a different medical condition.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the trigger rule is the same for each of the plurality of complex alert rules.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a rule of the plurality of rules of the trigger rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for a single value of the condition priority.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a rule of the plurality of rules of the trigger rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for a plurality of values of the condition priority.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert rule further comprises an alert value wherein a received value of the received values is compared to the alert value based on the indicator of the physiological characteristic to determine if the alert rule is satisfied.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the alert value includes a maximum value wherein the alert rule is satisfied if the received value is above the maximum value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the alert value includes a minimum value wherein the alert rule is satisfied if the received value is below the minimum value.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the alert value includes a minimum value wherein the alert rule is satisfied if the received value is below the minimum value.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a received value of the received values is compared to the indicator of the physiological characteristic to determine if the alert rule is satisfied.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to:

(a) receive values of a plurality of physiological characteristics of a patient;

(b) compare the received values to a complex alert rule associated with a medical condition, wherein the complex alert rule comprises a plurality of alert rules, wherein each alert rule comprises an indicator of a physiological characteristic of a patient associated with the alert rule and a condition priority associated with an urgency of the alert rule, and further wherein the complex alert rule comprises a trigger rule, wherein the trigger rule includes a plurality of rules wherein each rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for each value of the condition priority;

(c) determine a number of alert rules of the plurality of alert rules that are satisfied for each condition priority of the complex alert rule based on the comparison; and

(d) generate a complex alert if the determined number of alert rules for a condition priority satisfies the trigger rule of the complex alert rule.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising repeating (b)-(d) for a plurality of complex alert rules.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the trigger rule is the same for each of the plurality of complex alert rules.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a rule of the plurality of rules of the trigger rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for a single value of the condition priority.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a rule of the plurality of rules of the trigger rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for a plurality of values of the condition priority.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the alert rule further comprises an alert value wherein a received value of the received values is compared to the alert value based on the indicator of the physiological characteristic to determine if the alert rule is satisfied.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the alert value includes a maximum value wherein the alert rule is satisfied if the received value is above the maximum value.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a received value of the received values is compared to the indicator of the physiological characteristic to determine if the alert rule is satisfied.

20. A method of generating a complex alert, the method comprising:

(a) receiving values of a plurality of physiological characteristics of a patient;

(b) comparing, by a processor of a computing device, the received values to a complex alert rule associated with a medical condition, wherein the complex alert rule comprises a plurality of alert rules, wherein each alert rule comprises an indicator of a physiological characteristic of a patient associated with the alert rule and a condition priority associated with an urgency of the alert rule, and further wherein the complex alert rule comprises a trigger rule, wherein the trigger rule includes a plurality of rules wherein each rule includes a number of satisfied alert rules for each value of the condition priority;

(c) determining, by a processor of a computing device, a number of alert rules of the plurality of alert rules that are satisfied for each condition priority of the complex alert rule based on the comparison; and

(d) generating, by a processor of a computing device, a complex alert if the determined number of alert rules for a condition priority satisfies the trigger rule of the complex alert rule.